Bengals beat Jets 17-6 in Tebow's NY debut

CINCINNATI — Tim Tebow picked up some yards by running around a few times. Other than that, there wasn't much in his Jets debut.

Certainly nothing to spark any mania back in New York.

Tebow had his best moments while scrambling behind reserves on the Jets' line Friday night. He completed only four passes and threw an interception during the Cincinnati Bengals' 17-6 preseason victory.

The Jets (No. 17 in the AP Pro32) let their celebrated newcomer play the second quarter and most of the third. He led the Jets to a field goal and completed 4 of 8 passes for 27 yards with one interception, which translated to a passer rating of 18.2.

He also scrambled three times for 34 yards, avoiding sacks each time.

"I liked the poise he showed," coach Rex Ryan said. "Obviously, (he) made some big runs and that's what we say he can do. If you want to come after him, you better get to him. In time, he'll kill you running and that's what he did."

The Bengals (No. 14 in the AP Pro32) got a pair of touchdowns from reserve running back Cedric Peerman, who recovered a blocked punt in the end zone and scored on a 1-yard run.

The crowd of 44,161 at Paul Brown Stadium waited for Tebow to get into the game. Mark Sanchez went 4 of 6 for 21 yards in the first quarter, then took the rest of the game off.

The crowd booed loudly and photo flashes went off around the stadium when Tebow jogged onto the field. The quarterback from Florida got the same reception in 2010, when he made his pro debut in a preseason game with Denver in Cincinnati.

That game ended with Tebow leaving a mark. He ran over Kyries Hebert for a 7-yard touchdown scramble on the final play of the game, leaving the safety woozy in the end zone with his mouthpiece on the ground.

He rumbled around Paul Brown Stadium again on Friday, though the Jets were more interested in seeing him complete throws.

Tebow completed his first pass, a 12-yarder to second-round draft pick Stephen Hill, who's aiming for a starting spot across from Santonio Holmes. Under heavy pressure with reserves around him, Tebow scrambled twice for a total of 24 yards on a drive to Josh Brown's 42-yard field goal.

Tebow started the third quarter and had a poor throw that linebacker Vontaze Burfict intercepted.

The Bengals' came away with concerns about three starters lost to injuries during the first three series.

Left guard Travelle Wharton appeared to be the most seriously hurt. He went down while pass blocking on Cincinnati's third play and was taken off the field on a cart with an injured right knee. Clint Boling replaced him. Wharton signed with the Bengals as a free agent last March.

On the next series, middle linebacker Rey Maualuga and defensive end Carlos Dunlap limped off with assistance after hurting their right knees. Maualuga didn't return, but walked around the sideline freely.

The Bengals are looking for an outside receiver to complement Pro Bowler A.J. Green. Armon Binns had a diving 16-yard catch in the second quarter. Brandon Tate stretched for a 14-yard reception later in the same drive. Both receivers finished with two catches for 24 yards.

Pro Bowl quarterback Andy Dalton played the first quarter and completed 4 of 9 for 54 yards with a passer rating of 64.1.